30 Dec 1964
Contract signed with John Brown Shipyard of Clydebank.
5 Jul 1965
Keel laid.
Assigned 'job number 736'.
20 Sep1967
Launched by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Sound byte: wav 278k or au 50k
19 Nov 1968
QE2 sets sail from the fitting out berth at John Brown's under the command of Captain 'Bil' Warwick.
26 Nov 1968
Start of preliminary trials in the Irish Sea.
22 Apr 1969
Mini maiden voyage to Las Palmas.
2 May 1969
Official maiden voyage to New York.
8 Jan 1971
Rescued passengers from Antilles, which had run aground.
May 1972
Ransome demand in mid Atlantic.
1975 First world cruise.
May 1982
QE2 requisitioned for Falklands War as a troop tansport.
On 12 May 1982 she set sail for St Georgia with 3000 troops aboard.
QE2 arrived safely back in Southampton on 11 June 1982.
Oct 1986
Work starts in Germany on the conversion from steam to diesel engines.
1987
QE2 wins The Queen's Award for Export Achievement.
7 Aug 1992
Hits uncharted rocks off Vineyard Sound.
Dec 1994
Extensive, much publicised refit.
11 Sep 1995 Encountered Hurricane Luis on a Westbound Atlantic crossing and got hit by a 95 foot wave.
See Storm Certificate
2 Jan 1996
QE2 logged 4 millions miles
1996
Following the sale of Trafalgar House to Kvaerner, Cunard Line ownership is transferred to the Norwegian construction company.
May 1998
Kvaerner sell Cunard Line to the American owned Carnival Corporation.
4 Oct 2001
Captain R W Warwick performed the wedding ceremony of his daughter Rebecca on board QE2 in Boston.
See Article by Captain Warwick
29 Aug 2002
QE2 logged 5 millions miles at sea.
Apr 2004
QE2 completed a tandem crossing of the Atlantic with the new QM2.
